Issue2012 07

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Rural

OBSERVER Celebrating Our Rural Community Lifestyle

Serving Port Renfrew Jordan River Otter Point Willis Point East Sooke Malahat Shirley

Cover Photo by John Walls of Shirley

Two 100 Year Celebrations Our Forest Our Future The Other Italian Garden

Vol. 9 Issue 3 July 2012

The Juan de Fuca Rural Publication Society Mission Statement A group of Juan de Fuca residents formed a non-profit society to launch a news and advertising publication for the Juan de Fuca Electoral Area.

We provide a forum for our rural communities to share news, exchange ideas and develop a sense of community. At the same time the publication gives businesses within and outside the electoral area an opportunity to promote their products and services and reach potential customers. We also hope to make current information about the region and its services available to the many tourists who visit the area each year. Our goal is to protect, preserve and enhance rural life.

The publication will rely on community members to share their interests and points of view through articles, correspondence and photographs.

We welcome articles and letters reflecting the very diverse interests of our member communities and expressing all points of view. The editorial committee reserves the right to edit for brevity, accuracy, clarity and taste. Though every reasonable precaution will be made to verify the accuracy of material submitted, the editorial committee assumes no responsibility for the content of published articles. The responsibility is that of the writers. References and descriptions of products or services are provided “as is” without warranty of any kind, either expressed or implied.

We’re online! www.ruralobserver.com If you wish to submit an article for an upcoming issue of the Rural Observer, please email it to:

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submissions@ruralobserver.com Or mail to: Juan de Fuca Rural Publication Society 6790 East Sooke Road, Sooke BC V9Z 1A6

BECOME A MEMBER or RENEW YOUR MEMBERSHIP! Celebrate our rural community lifestyle by helping us share stories and information about our region. Become a member of the Juan de Fuca Rural Publication Society today. Our fee structure is as follows - you may renew/join at the basic level of $20, become a “Supporter” for $50, or a “Lifetime Member” for only $100. We recommend the lifetime membership - you won’t need to remember to renew each year! The Rural Observer needs your support to keep it strong, viable and independent.

Please make out cheques to the Juan de Fuca Rural Publication Society and mail to: J.Roots, 6790 East Sooke Rd, Sooke, BC, V9Z 1A6

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Advertising Sales Ph: (250) 642-1714 Email: advertise@ruralobserver.com

Return to: JdF Rural Publication Society, 6790 East Sooke Rd, Sooke, BC, V9Z 1A6

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July 2012

Our Forests, Our Future: What Do We Value? by Heather Phillips

However, we need co-operation from the Crown and private forest land owners to preserve what people value in the Juan de Fuca Forest Lands. We will only get this by offering good arguments and suggestions, not by complaining. Nomadic international corporations might be able to do “slash and burn” resource extraction for a few decades, but local people must have communities where better, sustainable tree farming and forest husbandry is required. Tell the government decision makers we want the jobs and the benefits; and yes, the beautiful, natural, living forest - close to our homes.

The ‘Our Forests, Our Future’ forums held on May 1st in Sooke and May 3rd in Victoria provided direction for next actions by the Jordan River Steering Committee. MLA John Horgan and CRD Directors Mike Hicks and Ben Isitt attended the Sooke forum while Director Vic Derman attended in Victoria. One theme that emerged is that local communities need more local control to achieve sustainable resource use. A second theme, specifically for our area, was that people want to know what is valued in the Juan de Fuca Forest Lands.

Think about it.

A view is valued - sea glimpses add to the real estate listing price.

Mushrooms are valued - a pine-mushroom is an ephemeral treasure that adds dollars to the picker’s wallet and pleasure to the diner’s palate.

Salal is valued - foliage from our forests may end up on a breakfast tray on an Air Canada flight or in a bouquet delivered to someone’s mother in Halifax.

Water is valued- the list of reasons why is too long to write. For one, imagine tourists flocking to watch water fall over a fern covered cliff. Imagine yourself standing looking at a hidden treasure of clean water and lush green plants with nothing on your mind but gratitude for the beauty of creation.

Forests are valued, as water is, for diverse reasons: for spiritual health through the connection with nature, as habitat for diverse species and as a resource to process for human consumption.

Back to outcomes from the forums. The CRD Directors picked up on the idea of a Community Forest somewhere in the Juan de Fuca Forest Lands. The Jordan River Steering Committee will follow up on the need for an inventory of what the community values in these lands and what features should be conserved. Plans for a community mapping project are underway.

What’s with the Jordan River Steering Committee? It is an alliance of area residents and conservation organizations that work in the area. First, in 2009 and 2010, Committee members took part in consultation for the Rural Resource Lands bylaws. Then, in 2010 and 2011, the Committee helped the community express how they wanted the bylaws interpreted: no re-zoning for a residential resort. Taking on a role to promote community consultation while the Regional Growth Strategy is updated and making sure we do have an inventory of what we value in the Juan de Fuca Forest is logical follow up in 2012.

More on the messages delivered by the public at the ‘Our Forests, Our Future’ forums. If we value natural things like views and big trees, so do other people. We can increase tourism. We can sell such things as views and the privilege of standing under a tree that is hundreds of years old.

Rosie Betsworth said that, since the Ancient Forest Alliance made Avatar Grove famous, the Visitor Information Centre in Port Renfrew has hundreds of enquiries about viewing big trees. This is great for a village that can no longer depend on timber harvest for local employment.

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July 2012

Beyond the Medicine Cabinet

Times of crisis, when we are unable to respond to our child’s needs, strains this bond. Our sense of helplessness comes from that strain.

by Lee Hindrichs

What can I do? As parents we have all experienced that heartwrenching helpless feeling when we look at our sick child and don’t know what to do; when pharmaceuticals or trips to the doctor don’t feel like enough.

The bond between parent and child is the basis for attachment.

So long as we remain the primary source of security and belonging we remain our child’s ‘imprinted’ guide. I am mindful of the power of the attachment and the influence it wields on my daughter’s life and her teenage decisions. The fact that her primary attachment is with me rather than her peers means that I continue to be her primary guide through the tumultuous years of adolescence.

I remember the 3 a.m. vigil watching my two year-old daughter, exhausted, irritable and feverish. I’d done everything to lower her temperature. As an RN I had a lot of tools at my disposal, but still I felt helpless. I always felt like I should be able to do more to alleviate her suffering. I was my child’s world, her source of security, and I was failing.

Over the years, reflexology and reiki have played an important role in keeping the attachment bond strong. Even in the presence of communication breakdown my daughter won’t turn down a foot treatment…it feels way too good! During these sessions, when words will just drive us further apart I listen with my hands. I offer no advice; I don’t speak any words. The underlying processes in reflexology and reiki allow her to come to a point of connection within herself that leaves her grounded and centered. Invariably these short reflexology/reiki sessions rebuild the ancient bond between mother and child and we have a platform to encounter each other, both of us with vulnerability and openness.

About this time I was introduced to reflexology and was amazed at just how profound its effects could be. It truly shone during those 3 a.m. vigils. When fevers, asthma attacks and other childhood illnesses raised their ugly heads I could respond with the usual measures, and reflexology. This simple tool would settle my fretting child into a restorative sleep. Reflexology would bring solace, lessen the severity of her symptoms and speed the recovery process. Since that time I have added reiki to my lexicon of home medical treatments.

Thirteen years later I look back on this journey of complementary therapies for my family’s health and I believe I have some valuable insights. The emotional bond that forms at birth between parent and child is built and reinforced by our responses to each other. We coo at our newborn, they gurgle their contentment. Our heart swells with love. At a fundamental level this parent-child bond is built through the unending cycle of action and response. This bond of attachment is built in both directions over time.

I believe every parent experiences those times when there doesn’t seem to be a way through to our child, especially teenage children; times when words seem to drive us apart.

Actually we all experience these times with our spouses and anyone we’re deeply connected to. I believe that complementary health tools have a role to play in both building and rebuilding the emotional bonds that connect us. The sessions create a space for the receiver and the giver to reconnect with themselves internally and subsequently, with their significant others. The power of touch, especially directed touch, is profound. We are complex beings, a weave of emotions, physical bodies, energy, spirit and mental beings. These ancient tools such as reflexology and reiki have a place both in healing and in building family bonds.

The attachment bond is vitally important; it represents our child’s imprinting upon us as safety and security. Dr. Gabor Mate brought this to the forefront in his talks around attachment-based parenting. Attachment works similarly to a duckling’s imprinting on its duck mother. The duckling follows its mother everywhere. Mother means survival. If the duckling were to imprint to something other than its mother, a squirrel or a fish or an immature duckling for example, its chances of survival would dwindle. Nurturing a strong attachment can help your child circumvent some peer-pressure pitfalls in the teen years.

Lee Hindrichs is an RN, Reiki Master and Reflexology instructor.

She has been nursing for 30 years and working in the field of complementary therapy for 15 years. She teaches both Reiki and Reflexology on Southern Vancouver Island. Her passion is to see families embrace self-care as a tool for preventative medicine. For courses she can be reached at 250-664-6492, or www.lifeforcepathways.com.

Randall Garrison, MP ESQUIMALT–JUAN DE FUCA Constituency office is now open to serve constituents: address: hours: phone: email:

A2–100 Aldersmith Pl, Victoria V9A 7M8 10am–4pm, Monday–Thursday or by appointment 250-405-6550 fax: 250-405-6554 Randall.Garrison@parl.gc.ca

We are here to assist constituents with Federal government programs and services.

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July 2012 10/18/11 11:47:43 AM

Sheringham Lighthouse – 100 Years Of Service

by Elanie Bruton

“On the night of February 26, 1862, the Anna Barnard, bound from San Francisco to Sooke for a load of lumber, approached Vancouver Island. Captain Olmstead and his seven-man crew could hear the pounding surf, but thick, soupy fog prevented them from seeing exactly how close to shore they were. Their luck ran out when they struck rocks a few miles from Sheringham Point. As their bark began to break apart, the captain and two crewmen launched a lifeboat but almost immediately the small vessel overturned in the surf.

Captain Olmstead managed to swim to shore, but the cook and seaman who were with him drowned. The five remaining men aboard the bark climbed up the mast, where they passed a whiteknuckled night clinging to the rigging until the tide went out and they were able to wade ashore.” The British Colonist, March 11, 1862.

From that event the Sheringham Point Lighthouse was built. In the early 1900s the Canadian Government obtained land from the Clark family and commenced construction on the lighthouse, which was completed in 1912. In September of 1912, the first light keeper Eustace Arden lit the light and the beacon shone bright in the sky off the coast of Shirley.

The history of Sheringham Point Lighthouse is a rich one, not just for the service provided to mariners but also because of the people who lived there. People were born there, people were married there, and people died there.

Some even believe that the ghost of at least one former keeper still walks the land, I know I do.

Now in 2012 and 2013 the Sheringham Point Lighthouse Preservation Society is celebrating the 100th anniversary of the light station at Sheringham Point. The Society, created in 2003, to preserve and protect the lighthouse, surrounding land and access, will organize a number of events in the community and virtual web based to recognize the light keepers, their families, the Coast guard and the many people who lived the history of the lighthouse.

The land and lighthouse located at the end of Sheringham Point Road is an important part of British Columbia and local history. Many light keepers and their families

Cover and article photos by John Walls of Shirley

lived in the local area and some still do. My parents were the last long term light keepers at Sheringham; Jim and Evelyn Bruton.

They served from 1968 - 1986 leaving after the tower was automated. My family and I lived in the house just up the hill from the tower. The last people to live in that house and at the station were Kurt and Erica Cehak.

Kurt came to fill in until dad officially retired and stayed until the lighthouse was officially de-staffed. When the Cehaks left they locked the gate behind them and it has been locked to the public ever since.

The Society is trying to keep the history of this facility alive as well as working to protect and preserve the light station and the beautiful waterfront parkland surrounding. We’ve already collected some interesting oral history, historical facts and information, reached out to families of light keepers and others who have information about the 100 years of service to mariners of Sheringham Point Lighthouse. And the Society continues to work with the CRD, the Juan de Fuca Parks and Recreation Commission, the First Nations and other stakeholders to see that the land remains in public hands, is preserved “as is”, managed by the Society and protected for the future. We also are working to ensure the building is protected and maintained.

Please log on to our website to learn more about the 100 year celebrations this summer and beyond. www.sheringhamlighthouse.org (NOTE: The lighthouse is not open to the public; the photos were taken during an official visit by the U.S. Lighthouse Society.)

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Thanks for hiring local trades people 5

July 2012

Alison Hill – A Glimpse of Her Work

by Janet Caplan

Please describe your work.

If I were to put my art into a particular genre of paintings it would probably fall within the Abstract/ Contemporary. Abstract because the inspiration I receive comes from not only my interpretation of the outside world but also from within: the thoughts and creations that exist within my mind, which sometimes are not necessarily concrete, but rather based on a translation of my own conception that I can pour out on canvas.

Some of my work has a fantasy, sci-fi feel. Other pieces have a more literal interpretation (a water scene, a skyline), or are more organic and earthy. In this way I feel that it is more contemporary.

What are your strongest influences at the present? I find your work, at least what I see on your website, very textural- some of your paintings could be weavings or printed fabrics such as linen.

My strongest influences come from within, from my subconscious. Sometimes if I just put a canvas in front of me and start painting, my feelings and emotions end up filling the canvas.

Then without me even being aware of what I’m consciously painting it evolves into a piece of art that exposes a part of me. Other times, I will have a very concrete thought or idea of what I want to depict. Much of my work is created by using life experiences past and present. Day to day life and a general awareness of the environment around me find their way into my work. We are surrounded by such beauty on the Island it’s hard not to be positively influenced.

How long have you been painting, and how would you say that your work has evolved over time?

I first took up painting at the age of 9, starting with water colors and painting mostly flowers. At age 12, my nana introduced me to painting with oils. I painted very literally then (flowers, mountains, and water scenes). During the school holidays and on the occasional weekend I could be found at the bottom of our road in Metchosin selling art and jewellery that I had made.

My art career really took off in the year 2000, when I was living in England. I began painting more abstractly. This I found quite liberating and suited the more carefree person I had evolved into.

It gave me a sense of freedom to be able to express the things unseen. I have been painting and selling my art for 12 years.

I know that you spent more than a decade living in the UK-did you study there? How, generally, did that affect your art?

I am a self taught artist. I never received any formal training other than the art classes provided in junior and senior secondary school. At school, whenever I was able to select the elective courses, my schedule was filled with all the art classes I could fit in. In a way I tutored my own art education while travelling in Europe, by taking in the diverse scenery and architecture as well as attending theatre, the symphony, musicals, ballet and dance productions as well as art galleries and museums. This exposure to different cultures gave my work more dimension and depth, and more meaning.

I do like to use texture in my work as I feel it gives it substance and weight. It helps make the paintings more tactile while allowing them to be more tangible or believable. I find this especially useful when doing the cityscapes. Sometimes I use tiles to give a cityscape a hard, upright, concrete jungle feel. I also use leather, buttons, fabric and other forms of mixed media in my work depending on the feeling and sense of structure I may want to evoke through the use of texture.

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July 2012

What medium do you use in your work and how and where do you work?

I now use acrylic as my medium. I find it gives me the freedom to express without being tied to things like drying time for example with oils. I like the fluidity of acrylics and being able to dilute or apply heavy bold areas of colour as needed.

Currently I work from my home but am in the process of establishing a studio.

What do you like best about being an artist?

The best part is being able to exercise freedom of expression.

I love being able to just pour out what’s in my heart and soul. Having people fall in love with something I’ve done just makes it that much more special. It gives me a real sense of satisfaction and joy. Just knowing that I have touched or moved a person and connected with them on that level is amazing.

Where can readers see your work?

My art can be found at a few locations in the Victoria Design District - Monarch Furnishings off Store Street; The Design District Studio, at Government and Chatham Street; and SOWOBO on Herald Street. My art is currently on display at The Office Restaurant and Lounge on Yates Street. Every year I also silently participate in the Moss Street Paint-in. That takes place July 21st. I look forward to it every year. I’m also a member of AIM (Artists in Motion). We have an event taking place September 29th at Robert Porter Park, 1330 Fairfield just near Thurlow Street. It’s called Plein Art Paint-in and is part of the Fairfield Fall Festival. It’s an outdoor paint-in where you can meet the artists and watch them paint.

People can see some of my work online at my website, www. ahartwork.com and contact me at ahartwork@yahoo.com.

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Email: jdfepc@crd.bc.ca

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July 2012

STINKING FISH STUDIO TOUR

August 3-12 (some studios 8-12)

10am–5pm A free self-guided tour of new art and artist studios.

Look for tour signs throughout Metchosin & East Sooke.

Maps on our website.

The Friends of Coppermine Park Society

by Valerie Braunschweig

The Friends of Coppermine Park Society has recently been established to maintain and develop the Park, to encourage activities, and to promote general usage of this public space in East Sooke. We recently entered into a Stewardship Agreement with Juan de Fuca Parks & Recreation to monitor report and/or repair things of concern in the park. Furthermore, we will be making recommendations for the usage and improvements of park equipment, including the existing Little League Baseball Field, Children’s Playground, the Children’s Basketball Practice Area, and Tennis Court.

Our first goal is ambitious; to raise funds to purchase equipment suitable for young toddlers to use and play on, as the present equipment is suitable for older children. We will host a meeting on Monday,

July 30th, at 7:00 p.m., in the Fire Hall meeting room, to discuss the playground structures we have looked at and to get your ideas and suggestions for ‘next steps’. Everyone with an interest in improving Coppermine Park is invited to join us at the meeting and learn more about our Park Society. The Society has as its Board, Valerie Braunschweig, Chair; Linda Nehra, Secretary; and Chandi O’Brien, Treasurer.

For More Information and memberships, contact copperminepark@telus.net

Volunteer and Show Your Care

250-474-2676 www.stinking fish studio tour.com

Doug Read Licensed Realtor 25 years experience~17 years *Selling* in *East Sooke* Benefit from my LOCAL EXPERIENCE and LOCAL SERVICE. Doug Read Pemberton Holmes Real Estate 250-361-7939 or 250-642-2705 or toll free 1-866-536-7169 email: info@dougread.com web site: www.dougread.com

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July 2012

East Sooke Community Calendar ES Volunteer Fire Department 1397 Coppermine Road Fire Practice Thursday nights 7:00 - 9:00 p.m.

Chief Roger Beck 250-642-4411 We NEED Volunteers!

East Sooke Fire Protection And Emergency Services Commission Fire Hall meeting room Third Mondays 7:00 - 9:00 p.m.

Healthy Bodies Fitness Cardio & Strength Class East Sooke Fire Hall Mon. Wed. Friday 9:30 - 10:30 a.m.

Outdoor Boot Camp Tuesday & Thursday 6:30 - 7:30 p.m.

Inst: Marita 250-589-3947 Hatha Yoga Classes East Sooke Fire Hall Wednesday night 7:00 - 8:15 p.m.

Inst: Connie 250-889-0753 Taking Summer Break Classes start Sept. 12th Karate Classes For All Ages East Sooke Fire Hall Tuesday nights 6:00 - 9:00 p.m.

Instructor: Armin 250-642-3926 Friends of Coppermine Park Society East Sooke Fire Hall Meeting Monday, July 30th 7:00 - 8:00 p.m. copperminepark@telus.net

The Artistic Mother

by Bonnie Coulter

You won’t want to miss the wellregarded Stinking Fish Studio Tour from August 3 to August 12th. As a guest artist preparing for the show I am spending more time in the studio than in the garden. My studio is packed with “canned salmon” creations, “hopscotch” and “a-lure-ing” mixed media pieces assembled using objects from antique boat parts and fishing tackle. I hope to have a few ocean scenes in oil on canvas completed by then.

My journey into art is not a beginning so much as a return to doing what I love after all the years of working at what I had to do. And the real art inspiration in my life is daughter Angela Menzies. Her colourful figurative paintings are fun, moving, sensitive and at times whimsical.

I admire her use of color and keen analysis that looks beneath the polished exterior of women.

The concept of genetic predisposition to being an artist is apparent within this group of close knit local artists affectionately known as “Stinker”. The family connections abound. There is for example, silversmith, Morgan Saddington who renders silver art jewelry reminiscent of chain-maille and armor with a fresh take that is inimitable. Artistic expression would be intuitive for Morgan having grown up in the studio of parents Judi Dyelle and Robin Hopper. Viewing Judi’s intricate and delicately pierced porcelain vessels it’s hard to connect them to rugged sounding concept of hand thrown.

They are so perfect!

New to the tour this year are Val and Leslie Speed. Working side by side in harmony these artists share a studio overlooking an idyllic farm setting where birds and wildlife abound. Leslie pulls her subjects into being using the timeless ‘lino’ print technique with sensitivity beyond her years. Fiber artist Val works blindingly tiny stitches with needle and thread to put minute detail into renderings of birds native to her garden. This art form goes so beyond embroidery as Val applies the creatures to repurposed blankets and felted (fulled) sweaters to make one of a kind pillows and framed details. I love the way these pieces take me back to older times when real wool blankets were on every bed in Canada.

They are so nostalgic for me.

When I meet with this group I realize that we are all deeply connected by our art, whether sharing stories, techniques, working spaces, supplies and models we are like family. Working individually most of the year we come together a few times a year to celebrate and share what we have created with each other as well as art collectors and admirers of fine art.

The self-directed art tour also includes potters, Peggy Elmes, Alice Mclean and Robin Hopper; woodworkers Don Knoles, Detlef Grundman and Doug McBeath; mosaic artist Jennifer Kivari; painting and fiber arts by brother and sister Frank and Wendy Mitchell; stone carver Lesley Graham Forman and painters Cheryl Taves, Lorraine Thorarinson Betts, Elaine Morton as well as glass and metal jewelry by Nicole Valentine-Rimmer.

For more information go to www. stinkingfishstudiotour.com.

East Sooke Women’s Meditation Group Meets Mondays Call for info – 250-642-7282 East Sooke Community Participation Would you be interested in a Ballroom Dance class? Craft Café?

Drop in Coffee Chat? Scrap booking?

Movie Night in the Park?

What would you like to see?

Leave message @ 250-812-9735

Painting by Bonnie Coulter

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July 2012

Lady Emily Walker And Ragley

(later to become the exiled Duke of Windsor) came to the island to visit.

by Elida Peers, Historian, Sooke Region Museum

In 1919, Edward, Prince of Wales, accompanied by his next in line brother who many years later became King George VI, took a floor at the Empress Hotel in Victoria. Newspaper accounts of the glamorous ball that he hosted show that he twice danced with a special guest wearing her tiara, Lady Emily Walker.

Major George Nicholson, manager of the Belvedere Hotel that stood on the headland by the Sooke River, recalled that the two Princes also stopped there, perhaps testing the reputation of the hotel as a destination for rum-runners of the day. When Edward, Prince of Wales visited again in 1927, he had lunch at Ragley and was photographed on the farmhouse steps with Lady Emily’s grandson.

Lady Emily Seymour was descended from Edward Seymour, Duke of Somerset, and brother to Lady Jane Seymour who had become the third wife of King Henry VIII. As Queen, Jane had borne King Henry a son, but sadly she lived only two weeks after giving birth. History records that Edward Seymour was beheaded for palace intrigue, but in time the Seymours regained the favour of the British Monarchy and in the 17th century his heir was given the title Marquis of Hertford. In 1873, when the sixth Marquis was in office, his Marchioness gave birth to Lady Emily, at the family mansion, Ragley Hall.

Rumours indicate that not only were the Seymours close to royalty, but that Lady Emily as a young woman, had become a special friend to King George V. In 1895, at the same time, she had become the bride of a young rector, Reverend Reginald Walker, younger son of another titled family.

When he was still a Prince, before the old King Edward died in 1910, the rumoured friendship may not have been a big issue, but when ultimately King George V ascended the throne in 1911, it seemed that plans were set in motion for the Walkers to distance themselves from Buckingham Palace.

With so much attention on the Diamond Jubilee of Queen Elizabeth II this year it reminds us of our own community’s connection to British Royalty. This is the 100th anniversary of the arrival in East Sooke of Lady Emily Walker and her husband, Reverend Reginald Walker, in June 2012.

Five children had been born to Lady Emily: Seymour in 1897, Lionel in 1898, Margaret in 1901, Eric in 1904 and Rupert in 1909. Rupert was a toddler when the family arrived in East Sooke, accompanied by a retinue of servants. The family’s new home, an impressive frame building standing among the tall Douglas-fir trees, was called Ragley in memory of the fine 40-room estate where Lady Emily had spent her girlhood.

That the Walkers left the comfortable vicarage in Frant, in the south of Britain, and set sail for one of the furthest outposts of the British Empire has been cause for much speculation in the century since then. Fueling the talk as well, were the occasions when the Uncle of the present Queen, Edward, Prince of Wales

The home was not ready when they arrived, however, and the family camped in tents while the Richardson brothers, also newly arrived from Britain, completed the structure. One of the marvels of the Seymour/Walker story is how incredibly this titled Lady

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who had known nothing but a privileged life, was able to adapt herself into her new role as a pioneer homemaker and farmer.

Always interested in farming, Lady Emily was a leader in many ways, helping establish a Farmers Institute, and serving as secretary for many years. She was instrumental in the building of the Farmers Institute Hall and often organized community picnics that would be hosted at Ragley. The first East Sooke Fall Fair was held at Ragley in 1923, with 180 entries.

In some ways, Ragley carries on the same traditions today, so many decades later, with its respect for the heritage and the focus on farming and organic foods, the inspiration of current owners Rob and Josephine Hill. Throughout most of the year, Ragley now holds a market day each Saturday, providing an opportunity, as in Lady Emily’s day, for people to gather together and visit.

Developing out of this social aspect, Josie Hill has initiated an annual High Tea, a sellout event for those who enjoy a casual country atmosphere and food with style. This year, the 100th Anniversary Special Event is planned for Sunday August 19th, and promises a plethora of events - tours, tastes, top hats and fun. Phone Josie at Ragley, 250-642-7349 for details.

We think that Lady Emily would approve, this elegant confidante of royalty, turned into a farmer, who in time took her secrets with her to St Mary’s Churchyard in Metchosin.

Despite her potato harvesting lifestyle at Ragley, when she was out socially in her satins and tiara, she wished to be addressed as “Your Ladyship.” The neighbourhood complied, but we understand that sotto voice she was affectionately called “the old ship.”

Far left, Margaret; next child is Eric; on sleigh, Rupert; behind him Seymour; and at right, Lionel. Rev Walker is 3rd from right, and the remainder of the group are staff members.

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July 2012

Shirley and the Shirley Community Association Look to the Future

and provide a forum for local residents to raise their concerns/ comments. The Association has been successfully providing this to the community for over 75 years.

I am new to rural living. I have always been a city dweller albeit one with strong roots in rural places. I am one of the many Prairie folk that have ended up on the coast choosing to trade big, blue sky for big, blue ocean. What I understood from the beginning is that Shirley is a place where people, myself included, move to get away from it all. It seems we all share a love of the wilderness, ocean and reclusiveness. There is a natural tendency towards rugged individualism. This is apparent in the landscape and is perhaps what resonates with those that choose to live here. There are microclimates in every corner.

There are weather patterns that vary from moment to moment.

The geology changes around every hill. Land and people stand proud in their individuality.

The SCA was formed in 1934 and the Shirley Hall, one of the landmarks of the community of Shirley was built in 1937.

This year marks 75th Anniversary of the Shirley Hall and its contributions to the community around it. In my search for information about the Association and the role it has played in the past I was the lucky recipient of a whole stack of old newsletters courtesy of the recently departed, and very involved member of community, Jean Whiffin. She was a natural keeper of documents, and I am so glad of it. In reading the old SCA newsletters I was immediately taken with the sensitivity of its members. The newsletters are an extraordinary outpouring of appreciation for land, sea and people. In reading the old articles the common experience we all share living here was profoundly evident.

by Melody Kimmel

The Shirley Association has historically organized seasonal dinners, dances, lunches and craft fairs which continue to this day. Other groups have also organized events that have graced the Hall. A Christmas Pageant was created by parents and children from the community in 1989. 1990 saw a performance by the Ars Nova Ensemble and the creation of Film Night, an evening of National Film Board offerings for $1. 1991 featured a Festival of History Dinner with the Ambassador of Spain in attendance as well as other dignitaries. I wonder how many people know the reason for that evening. Shirley has her enigmatic side.

In 1992, a relay was organized for the Annual Shirley Day Festivities where two groups set out from either end of the Shirley District, walking, biking or running, to meet at the Shirley Hall in the middle.

I find it ironic then that upon coming here I suddenly became interested in community. The community of Shirley is fittingly a spacious one. I have become an anthropologist attempting to understand this community. A community of 450 or so individuals, they each have their own story to share. I am delighted with what I encounter. Whether the story is of a family history that holds them to the land, a desire for a different lifestyle or the allure of the famous West Coast surf, those that live here all love the natural environment.

Because of my curiosity in these people and this place I decided to become ‘involved’ in the community. This is new territory for me and a bit daunting, but I like this place and these people. I want to become a part of, or contribute to whatever this community is and becomes. At the Shirley Community Association AGM I became a director. It seemed like a fairly innocuous place to start.

As times have changed so have the events of the Hall. The year 2000 marked the creation of the ‘Tile Project’. Local artist Rosemarie Metz encouraged the amassing of local clay which produced a local clay mix and creation of unique tiles that now grace the Pavilion fireplace. Dancing continued to be a common lure for the community with the Shirley Stomp in 2002, and for those more musically (rather than dance) oriented, weekly jam sessions were organized in 2003.

The SCA still organizes the Annual Shirley Day Fair, Fall Craft Fair, Neighbourhood Christmas Event, and Spring Craft Fair not to mention the fabulous Soup Saturdays. The SCA and Shirley Hall have provided the location for the annual Save Our Streams Festival which raises money to protect Muir Creek, the Shirley Hallowe’en Freak Show where local oddities perform with flourish, and the inaugural run of the Shirley Sunday Market and Craft Fair, a twice monthly event held in Pioneer Park this summer.

Regular weekly events currently include Kung Fu on Monday nights and Kundalini Yoga on Tuesday nights. The Shirley Quilters and Crafters meet every Thursday afternoon and get the creative energy flowing for Nia dancing in the evening. Saturday mornings offer Pilates and Sunday morning sees the floorboards shaking with more Nia dancing. This is a testament to the creativity and vitality this community contains.

My question in joining the Community Association was, “what is the mandate of the Association?” The Community Association website addresses this as it identifies their role to: provide a hall facility for public use and private events, organize events throughout the year to celebrate our community spirit, maintain Pioneer Park for public enjoyment, provide a home base for Shirley Volunteer Fire Department, provide a facility for JDF Emergency Response Shirley Chapter, provide emergency shelter in case of disaster, serve as a conduit for communication between various government agencies and local residents

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July 2012

As a new rural resident and a Shirleyite in training it is a delight to be a part of the SCA. The Shirley Hall and Pioneer Park are precious assets. It is heartening to see the encouragement of a wide variety of community events, and I wonder what else can this unique community create? There are ideas for a Murder Mystery Dinner, kids’ art classes and workshops, as well as, free or by donation events such as a Family Dance Night. And in order to reflect this growing and changing community the SCA needs to hear from the people that make up that community. We invite your response. What sounds appealing or do you have ideas for events you would like to create at the Shirley Hall. We need participation so please consider joining the Shirley Community Association.

It is $10 annually to be a member and join the continuing efforts of supporting our unique and inspiring families and ‘rugged’ individuals.

Meetings are held the 2nd Wednesday of January, March (AGM), May, July, September and November. Join us and see what this community can create. If you have any comments or feedback, please visit the website, www. shirleycommunity.org and click on “contact us”. We’ll be happy to hear from you.

Calendar of Events for Shirley

Unless otherwise indicated, events are held at the Shirley Community Hall

Shirley Fire Department Practices held Wednesdays 7:00 – 9:00 p.m.

Chief Donovan Ray – 250-646-2107 Shukokai Karate for all ages Mondays 6:30-8:00 p.m.

Alida – 642-4631 Kundalini Yoga with Alanda Carver Tuesdays 6:45 – 8:00 pm muircreek@hotmail.com Nia Dance/Movement Thursdays, 6:45-8 p.m.

Sundays 11 a.m. - 12:15 p.m. movingmelody@gmail.com or 250-646-2995

Making Music, Making Friends

by Melody Kimmel

Pilates Saturdays 9:30-10:30 a.m.

Shirley Quilters and Crafters Thursdays 10:00 a.m. – 4:oo p.m.

(No sessions in July & August) Shirley Womens Institute 3rd Wednesday of the month, 2:00 p.m.

Stephanie Croft 250 646-9997 or stephaniecroft@hotmail.com Shirley Farmer’s Market July 8 & 22, August 5, September 9 & 23 10:30 a.m. – 3:00 p.m.

Contact: Christopher Lucas 250-900-8817

Carol had been introduced to the handpan, a new and relatively unknown instrument invented in Switzerland, and now made in limited numbers in several other countries such as Russia, Spain and the USA, a few months previous.

Her enthusiasm got her online and chatting with other handpan enthusiasts including musician Colin Foulke from Orange County, California; a master of the instrument.

Carol’s involvement in the group inspired some of its members, and a decision was made to raise money, initially for an instrument to send to Carol on loan, but when that proved an unlikely goal due to the difficulty in obtaining one, the group decided on the next best thing - send Colin to Canada. Colin ended up in Shirley for his first Canadian trip on the Victoria Day weekend and enthralled Carol, her beloved dog Camellia and the gathering of music lovers that were able to come out for a Saturday afternoon concert at Pioneer Park. An amazing example of community, and the broader world to which the internet connects us.

See Colin and Carol play together: http://www.handpan.org/forum/viewtopic. php?f=18&t=5716&start=180 13

Shirley Day Sunday, August 19 11:00 a.m. – 6 p.m.

NUMA FARMS NURSERY TREES & SHRUBS SHRUBS & TREES Bones of your garden!

Open Mon to Sat 8:30 – 5:00pm • Closed Sunday Debit, Visa, Mastercard 3459 Luxton Road, Langford, B.C. • Tel: 250-474-6005 numafarms@shaw.ca

✃

75 year old Carol Whitney, long time resident of Shirley and music aficionado, got an amazing surprise when one of the musicians she had been chatting with on an internet handpan forum came to visit her.

Shirley Community Association Meeting Wednesday, July 11 & September 12, 7:30 p.m.

July 2012

The Revival of the Shirley Women’s Institute

disconnect between the transfer of knowledge of the age-old ways of healthy living and today’s modern society. Many of us did not learn from our parents how to grow, make and preserve food or how to make household cleaning products from safe ingredients or how to produce handicrafts. Many of us feel that the impact of our ‘disposable’ society is taking its toll on our health, our environment and our values. And so, we feel there is a movement among younger generations wishing to learn the more eco-friendly, health conscious, sustainable ways of living of past generations. And this is what the revived Shirley Women’s Institute strives to do: share knowledge on healthy living practices and support community.

by Stephanie Croft

History - Over eighty-five years ago, eight local women got together to hold the very first Shirley Women’s Institute meeting.

It took place on October 24th, 1924 in the Shirley School House. Though the branch had few members, it was the first organization in Shirley and it filled a void in the community, campaigning for safer road conditions, improvements to the local school and its grounds and hosting local health clinics for women and children.

Goals - With this purpose in mind, we intend to hold regular information workshops on a range of topics including soap making, harvesting, canning and fruit tree pruning. We also plan to hold the Shirley WI tradition of supporting charities and causes relevant to our community. In order to support our goals, we do some fundraising, including hosting a table of homemade items for sale at the Shirley Market once a month. And while doing all these things, we hope to provide a source for women in our community where they can connect with each other, create friendships and provide support for each other. As it was in the early years, many members in our group come to the meetings and events with their babies and children in tow. We meet the third Wednesday of every month at 2:00 in the Shirley Hall. We welcome new members or those just dropping in for interest.

As the years went on, the Shirley Women’s Institute (WI) took on many familiar issues to us today like the dumping of garbage in Shirley, improving access to modern services (phone, electricity) and assisting with local farming concerns. It also supported the war effort through sewing and knitting donations and has been a long time supporter of the Queen Alexandra Foundation. The Shirley WI was very active in the building and maintaining of the Shirley Community Hall and the Shirley Pioneer Park. Perhaps the most notable accomplishment of the Shirley WI was its prevention of the combining of Armistice Day (Remembrance Day) and Thanksgiving Day in 1926. Starting with a simple resolution, this movement gained national momentum, inducing the federal government to make November 11th its own public holiday.

For more information, please come to one of our meetings, drop by our market table or contact Stephanie Croft at stephaniecroft@ hotmail.com , or 250-646-9997. We hope to see you soon!

Revival - Despite all of its accomplishments, the Shirley WI was growing older, along with its membership, and very nearly met its extinction last year. A few of us caught wind of this and took steps towards reviving this pillar organization in our community. We started this year with only eight members, as in 1924, but are already growing. We are proud to have members ranging in age from their twenties to their eighties, not a common occurrence in other WI branches across the province and country.

CONTRIBUTE TO THE RURAL OBSERVER If you have an activity of a rural nature in the Juan de Fuca area that you would like covered, please send it to us. We cannot promise to print every article, but we try to, if and when space allows.

Any thoughts or questions, please email us! submissions@ruralobserver.com

Purpose - Perhaps what is most appealing about the concept of the Shirley Women’s Institute is its purpose to serve rural women in their desire to be more selfsufficient through healthy food production and preservation. We feel that, in the last couple of generations, there has been a real

Juan de Fuca Electoral Area Parks and Recreation Advisory Commission

Kemp Lake Store Cafe

The Commission meets on the fourth Tuesday of every month at 5pm, Juan de Fuca Electoral Area Office, #2 – 6868 West Coast Road

Dine in or take out delicious food, gluten-free menu Store hours 8am-6pm daily; Lunch noon-4pm daily Breakfast Saturday & Sunday, 9 am to noon

Public Welcome to Attend For more information, visit www.crd.bc.ca/jdf/parks.

For meeting confirmation or enquiries, please call 250.642.1500.

7875 West Coast Road In the heart of Otter Point

Call ahead! 250-642-7875 14

July 2012

Rural GARDENING

Rural RECIPE

The Other Italian Garden

The following recipe was provided by Carol Christie of Little Vienna Bakery

by by Bonnie Coulter

Chocolate Chip Cake

The Mister and I were having an evening visit with friends who are in the process of redesigning their garden and adding a long low rock wall to enhance the grade. While ruminating about all the new real estate available for new plantings, the topic came around to Italian gardens. Not the ornate, languid places for parasols and picnic blankets where lovers share a bottle of wine while violins lull you into each other’s arms. I mean the sustenance gardens found in the cities back in the post war era. The English called them victory gardens. I don’t know if Italians had a name for theirs, but they cultivated their entire yard and kept ducks, geese and the occasional goat.

1 cup rolled oats 1 ½ cups boiling water 1 tsp baking soda Combine above ingredients and let stand for 15 minutes.

1 cup white sugar ½ cup brown sugar 2 cups all-purpose flour 3 tsp baking powder 1 tsp salt Combine above dry ingredients. ¾ cup vegetable oil 2 eggs 2 tsp vanilla

I remember those gardens in New Westminster’s Italian district near Queens Park. There were few lawns and fewer ornamental trees. Those smart transplants grew everything they needed to eat and drink! I can only imagine how wonderful it would be today if one was revered for their green thumb and not their “green speak”. We wondered why those gardens disappeared. Was it the time it took, or was it simply not fashionable? How could growing a garden take any more time than being enslaved to the perfect lawn? If we can grow teenagers in these times surely we can figure out how to outsmart those fruit thieving raccoons!

Mix above wet ingredients and rolled oat mixture together.

Make a well in the dry ingredients and stir in the wet/oat mixture just until incorporated.

Pour into prepared 9”x13” pan. Sprinkle top with ¾ cup brown sugar and 1 cup of chocolate chips.

Bake @ 350 F until golden and a toothpick comes out clean.

Now that most homes are on city water and sewer we should be able to reclaim the back yard as our own grocery store. In time, we might be able to gain acceptance from the by-law makers to garden the front yard as well. Italian plum trees, fig trees, dwarf fruit trees could replace shrubs; edible rhubarb could replace gunnera manicata; and artichoke is so darn handsome you will forget about pretty dahlias.

The five horsemen of the Italian herb garden, cilantro, fennel, basil, oregano and rosemary love our climate. You can easily grow olives, figs, lemon and lime trees here as evidenced by Bob Duncan’s fruit farm near Sidney here on the island. Bob even grows navel oranges in a relatively small green house where he can get enough heat to bring the fruit to maturity.

Who could resist replacing the tired old clump of red raspberry with the new Black Raspberry cultivar Rubus occidentalis, which are high in anthocyanins. Anthocyanins are also antioxidants and are believed to be more effective in inhibiting cancer development than any other single agent. That plant has my vote. It really makes you think about how being in charge of your own food, how it is grown, handled or stored can be stress relieving. How fantastic if, instead of peeling your veggies and wondering where they have been and what has been done to them, you could be reassured by all the good food and exercise this garden brings you.

Happy gardening, and I hope you find a way to include more edibles in your landscape.

15

July 2012

Natural Building

people built with the materials at hand, mud and straw, wood and stone. Homes may have been cool and drafty, but the occupants were probably healthier. With our modern approach to tightly sealed, air conditioned homes, the opposite is true.

by Keary Conwright

There is a lot of hype about ‘green’ or ‘natural’ building these days. What does it all really mean? I believe a natural home is one built with minimally processed, locally sourced materials with low environmental impact, and designed with the health of the occupants in mind.

A healthier indoor environment can be attained with natural materials and intelligent design.

Researchers in Northern Europe have developed a method of building walls with clay and straw that provides thermal mass and insulation, while allowing diffusion of water vapour through the wall.

Known as light clay construction, this wall system can also be built with clay and wood chips, which are more readily available here on the coast. When finished with natural clay and lime plasters or wood siding, these walls can be very beautiful and provide a warmth and feeling of tranquility indoors, which must be experienced to be fully appreciated.

Most people spend the majority of their time indoors, and indoor air pollution has been cited as a major cause of modern health problems. For too long, the finishing materials in our homes have been chosen with no regard for human health (off-gassing from glues, paint and synthetic carpets for example). The concerns about water damage & mold in our damp climate have led to the practice of sealing everything up inside a continuous plastic vapour barrier,

Another element of natural building to consider is thermal mass and radiant heating. Rammed earth partitions within the insulated shell of a home can help to regulate temperature extremes and improve indoor air quality. A centrally located contraflow masonry heater fireplace will provide radiant heat with only one fire per day.

which leads to problems with ventilation and generally exacerbates health problems.

Original Artwork Live Entertainment • Artist Demos Special Events

July 28 - August 6 Open Daily at 10 am SEAPARC Leisure Complex $8 Day • $15 Show Pass $7 - Seniors 65 and over Children 12 & under FREE

Painting Sculpture Photography Jewellery Mixed Media Ceramic Glass Fibre

www.sookefinearts.com

All our energy ultimately comes from the sun, so it makes sense to orient our homes with more south facing windows and wide overhangs to take advantage of the low winter sun and block some of the high summer sun. These design features, when combined with the beauty and permanence of mortise and tenon timber frame joinery can result in a healthy home that we would be proud to pass down to future generations.

Many people have tried other approaches to building and have found that more traditional methods work better provided they are used in the proper climate zones: adobe in the desert, straw bales on the prairies, logs in the forest, etc. In our damp coastal climate, it is important to allow the outer skin of our buildings to breathe. The concept of the ‘breathable wall’ has been greatly misunderstood.

Obviously, we need shelter against the weather, so we build walls and a roof over ourselves, but we also need light, fresh air and a comfortable temperature and humidity level in our homes. Historically,

Keary Conwright is a natural home designer and builder living in Otter Point. www.kcnaturalhomes.com

16

July 2012

Musings on Music

by Heather DeRome

I have been learning, living and growing with music since I was a young adult. My life as a perpetual music student, teacher, amateur (in the sense that I love music) and professional (in the sense that I earn my living with music), has taught me a lot of things. It has shaped who I have become. It has opened my heart and soul, and also my mind and intellect. It has taken me over the edge with hopeless despair and brought me to tears of ecstatic joy.

When I was seven, it was the family joke that I wanted to be a great singer when I grew up. “Isn’t that funny? Heather wants to be a singer and she’s not even talented!” My musical background consisted of barely audible muzak at Sunday dinner, and my singing repertoire of Happy Birthday. None of us had much idea about music or talent, but we all believed the story.

When I left home, the first thing I did was learn guitar. It was horribly embarrassing because, well, I was not talented. But I could not help myself; I had to do it. So I practised all day every day, and it’s true; I really wasn’t talented!!! I was tone deaf, I could not sing in tune or tune the guitar, and I had no rhythm. I took lessons and got a sense of rhythm and pitch. I studied music at university and did really well. But I had not been born talented, so I knew I never would be. Right? Besides . . . I did not just want to be talented I wanted to be a genius!!!

they need to be fostered even if you already are, uh, talented.

People who start off with a good ear still need help to learn to play in tune. People with great intrinsic rhythm need to develop the coordination to play well in time. In my 30-plus years of teaching music, I have learned that what you really need is passion. Passion and determination. Also a willingness to be constantly examining yourself objectively, the willingness to stop examining yourself. Sometimes you just have to LET GO. Music requires it all, and to your fullest potential. Music requires you to constantly stretch the boundaries of your fullest potential. But that will be a topic for another day.

Okay, now I am all grown up. I have kids. My daughter wanted to play the violin when she was five and, by sheer dumb luck, we stumbled upon a teacher who debunked all the bunks about talent and genius. ALL her students play well - even the ones who start off without those basic building blocks we call talent, develop them within a year or two. At first this was very mysterious to me, because she does not instruct much, at least not verbally. The kids just play the violin - they are in ‘child la la land’, copying what the older ones are doing. And they are doing it in a family based, community oriented setting, always surrounded by love and security.

You see, music is a language and we all speak. All these things we call talent are simply components of the language of music. They are all things that can be developed. Conversely,

John Horgan

MLA Juan de Fuca

Your Rural Voice in the Legislature

New! Organic Hair Coloring and Beam Teeth Whitening

800 Goldstream Ave, Victoria, V9B 2X7 250 391 2801 john.horgan.mla@leg.bc.ca www.johnhorgan.com JH-RurObs-0909.indd 1

17

9/24/09 12:41:00 PM July 2012

From the desk of John Horgan, MLA Juan de Fuca The End of the Session After my first full year as official opposition House Leader, surprisingly, I still have faith in our parliamentary system. The recently concluded spring session of the Legislature was a whirl of activity marked by a lack of focus and a collection of random changes, that when strung together, gave the impression of a government adrift and without an agenda for the future.

In February, the Premier bypassed the traditional Speech from the Throne and went to the radio airwaves to lay out her plan for the spring and beyond. Four months on, the plan remains confused and driven more by photo opportunities than by substantive progress.

Question period usually generates the headlines, but the real work is making laws. A recent attempt at beefing up a thin legislative agenda gave the impression of policy depth with over 20 Bills put before the House in the last weeks of the sitting, leaving little time for review, let alone debate. Bills by themselves do not demonstrate a focused agenda. Often legislative changes are “housekeeping” in nature and are designed to update our statutes and modernize language.

Other changes were designed to correct government mistakes from previous sessions. For example, changes to energy policy around the notion of “self-sufficiency”, served to highlight the cost BC Hydro has been paying for electricity that we don’t need.

Another piece of legislation was a result of the courts throwing out the recent changes to our drunk driving laws.

The BC Liberal government finally introduced legislation to repeal the HST. Nearly a year ago, voters overwhelmingly rejected the revised sales tax and government committed to get rid of it and return to the old tax, complete with existing exemptions. But even with the legislation in place, the BC Liberal government is going to keep the HST until April of 2013, finally removing it on the eve of the next provincial election.

An attempt to soften the impact of the HST on the housing sector has fallen flat in our area. The Provincial Budget introduced a rebate program for home buyers purchasing recreational property outside of Victoria and the lower mainland. Sounds like a great idea for rural BC. Unless rural is inside the CRD like Port Renfrew.

Port Renfrew is experiencing a transformation. Always a resource town - forestry, mining and fishing - times are changing.

Port Renfrew is becoming a tourism and vacation home market.

So the HST rebate would be a help to home builders that would lead to more jobs, right? Wrong. The BC Liberal government excluded Port Renfrew from the program. Lake Cowichan, just down the circle route, is in. Bamfield, at the end of the West Coast Trail is in, but not Port Renfrew. I wrote the Minister urging him to amend the policy, but the answer was still no.

I did manage to convince the Minister of Natural Resource Operations to agree to review the Sooke Water Use Plan with a view to finding a solution to the proposed decommissioning of the Bill James Dam on DeMamiel Creek. In January, Federal Fisheries announced plans to abandon the facility, despite putting at risk 25 years of work by local volunteers at the Sooke Salmon Enhancement Society. People don’t expect miracles from government, just some competence and common sense.

I’m looking forward to being able to get back out on the ground in my community. After a long legislative session I’m always eager to be able to spend more time talking to people on the street and learning first-hand what issues are of concern to them. I can’t wait to frequent the local summer markets, attend summer events and, of course, spend a day or two on one of my favourite summer jaunts - the Sooke Potholes – no summer would be complete without it! But most of all, I’m looking forward to re-experience the beauty and tranquility of our great west coast.

I hope to see you out and about. Have a safe and happy summer.

John Horgan, MLA Juan de Fuca www.johnhorgan.ca john.horgan.mla@leg. bc.ca 18

July 2012

The Rural Observer’s publication schedule for 2012: Alice McLean Pottery p.8 250-642-3522

Sept 30 – deadline for articles is Sept 5

Cadillac Imaging & Implants p.7 250-590-2040

November 30 – deadline is Nov 2

Custom Digging p.18 250-413-7685 Deb’s Barbershop p.17 250-391-7566 Doug Read - Pemberton Holmes Realty p.8 250-642-2705 East Sooke Fire Protection Commission p.8 250-642-4411 Felix Irwin - Chartered Accountant p.17 250-642-5277 Fotoprint p.2 250-382-8218 From the Garden... at French Beach p.7 250-646-2425 Hallway Farm p.11 250-625-1714 Hugh Gregory Fine Painting p.14 250-480-8295 James Craven & Associates p.2 250-744-9455 JdF Emergency Program p.7 250-642-2266 JdF Parks & Recreation Commission p.14 250-642-1500 John Horgan - Juan de Fuca MLA p.17 250-391-2801 Juan de Fuca Veterinary Clinic p.6 250-478-0422 Kemp Lake Store & Cafe p.14 KC Natural Homes p.16

250-642-7875

250-642-0535

Kimmel Massage Therapist p.12 250-646-2865 Lifeforce Pathways p.4 Little Vienna Bakery p.15

250-664-6492 250-642-6833

Ragley Farm p.10 250-642-7349 Rainwater Harvesting - James Scott p.20 250-686-6920 Randall Garrison, MP p.4 250-405-6550 Rural Observer - Advertising pp.2,19 250-642-1714 Sage Garden Services p.15 250-217-8797 Sheringham Point Lighthouse Pres. Soc. p.20 250-646-2528 Sooke Fall Fair p.20 Sooke Fine Arts Society p.16

www.sookefinearts.com

Sooke Harbour House p.3 250-642-3421 Stinking Fish Studio Tour p.8

250-748-6688

Tale of the Whale p.11 250-642-6161 The Stick In The Mud Cafe p.10

250-642-5635

Victoria Alarm Service p.18 250-721-0266 Walk, Sit & Stay - Dog Walking p.8 250-642-0458 Westside InstaPrint p.18 250-478-5533 Woodfern Stoneworks p.7 250-415-7473 Worklink p.3 250-642-9525

CONTRIBUTE TO THE RURAL OBSERVER

Markus’ Wharfside Restaurant p.11 250-642-3596 Mosaic West Consulting Services p. 8 250-642-0399

If you have an activity of a rural nature in the Juan de Fuca area that you would like covered, please send it to us. We cannot promise to print every article, but we try to, if and when space allows.

Any thoughts or questions, please email us! submissions@ruralobserver.com

Noella LeDrew, Graphic & Web Design p.19 250-889-4100 Numa Farms p.13 250-474-6005 Otter Point Electric p.5 250-588-4324 Race Rocks Automotive p.7 250-478-1920

Vivi Curutchet

Advertising Sales Ph: (250) 642-1714 Email: advertise@ruralobserver.com

19

July 2012

Celebrate

100 years of service

The Sheringham Point Lighthouse is 100 YEARS OLD Go to www.sheringhamlighthouse.org and click on “Celebrate 100 Years” to find out what’s happening for the 100th anniversary of the lighthouse.

Please join the Sheringham Point Lighthouse Preservation Society.

Every day the Society volunteers are working to preserve and protect the lighthouse building, the access and the surrounding property. Your membership can make a difference.

The Sheringham Point Lighthouse Preservation Society was established in 2003. The Society is incorporated under the Society Act of British Columbia, File #S47588 - May 17, 2004. The Society is registered as a charity by the Canada Revenue Agency, #858885940RR0001, July 29, 2004.

SHERINGHAMLIGHTHOUSE. ORG 20

July 2012